Insert assembly for leaf springs



Nov. 24, 1953 c. G. DAvls 2,660,425

INSERT ASSEMBLY FOR LEAF SPRINGS Filed Aug. ,2, 1951 o fg o INVENTOR.`

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Patented Nov. 24, 1953 INSERT ASSEMBLY FOR LEAF SPRINGS Charles G. Davis, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Detroit Gasket & Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application August 2, 1951, ySerial No. 239,977

7 claims. (C1. 267-49) This invention relates to an improved spring insert assembly for multiple leaf springs.

Multiple leaf springs are widely used on automotive vehicles. Such springs comprise a plurality of superimposed leaves. Successive leaves in the spring assembly have different lengths. Each superimposing leaf is shorter than the leaf therebelow. It has been common practice for some time to provide spring inserts disposed between successive leaves to provide smooth and silent relative movement of the leaves with respect to each other in the flexing of the spring.

Such inserts must conform with the exing move-v ment of the springs and are designed to minimize noise resulting from friction between the spring leaves and to provide for smooth functioning.

Such spring inserts are commonly held in place by providing the inserts with embossed portions which are received within slots or cooperating recesses formed in the spring leaves. Cer.- tain leaf springs have their leaves grooved lengthwise and in such case the inserts are embossed to conform with the contour of the groove to maintain the insert in place. These inserts are commonly put in place at the time of the assembly of the leaf spring itself.

This invention relates to a spring insert assembly which may be sold as a unit and it can be attached as a unit to a leaf spring. The spring insert assembly comprises the spring inserts and supporting means which carries the inserts. The supporting means is constructed to be attached to the leaf spring itself to support the inserts in place and to maintain them in theirinterposed relation between the superposed spring leaves.

The spring insert assembly of this invention is of simple construction. It is capable of being readily detachably secured to a multiple leaf spring. The spring inserts themselves form such parts of the assembly that they are held in proper position between the superposed leaves of the spring without regard to the Aparticular formation of the spring leaves.

A meritorious feature of the invention is that the spring insert assembly includes a plurality of spring inserts coupled together as a unitary structure and adapted to be mounted upon a multiple leaf spring in such a manner that the several inserts of the assembly are received between the superimposed leaves of the spring and held in their interposed relation therebetween independently of engagement with the leaves of the spring. The spring insert assembly is also designed to conform readily to the flexing movement of the spring during use. i

Various other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description, claims and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective of an end portion of a multiple leaf spring provided with the spring insert assembly of this invention mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

The spring leaf structure shown in Fig. l is a conventional one. It is illustrated as comprising four spring leaves identified by the numerals l0, l2, I4 and Hi. Leaf l0 is the lowermost leaf and is provided at one end with an eye I8 adapted to receive a spring support shackle pin. The successive leaves of the spring assembly are successively shorter in length. Each superimposing leaf is shorter than the leaf therebelow, as appears from Figs. 1 and 2. The central portion of the multiple leaf spring and the opposite end is now shown but these are conventional and well understood. The opposite end portion is of course a complement of the end portion which is shown.

The spring leaf insert assembly of this invention is shown as mounted upon the multiple leaf spring hereinabove described. It comprises a pair of clamps 20 and 22. Clamp 20 is shown as comprising a pair of complementary U-shaped clamp elements 2li and 26 the ends of which are fastened together by bolt and nut arrangements 28. Each of these U-shaped clamping elements is provided interiorly with a compressible bushlng 30 formed of rubber or the like, as shown in the figures of the drawing.

The clamp 22 is of the same general type or construction as clamp 2|] but clamp 22 is adapted to embrace the multiple leaf spring at a point where there are only two superimposed leaves and therefore clamp 22 comprises one U-shaped clamping element 32 and a nat bar element 34. These two elements are secured together at Vtheir ends by nut and bolt structures 36. Each of these elements is provided with a compressibleicushionlike bushing 38 which may be formed of rubber or the like, It serves the same purpose 'as the bushing heretofore described in connection with the clamp 20.

These two clamps are shown clamped about the multiple leaf spring spaced apart lengthwise thereof. The clamps carry a spring insert support in the form of a bridge All. This bridge is secured by rivets or the like 42 to the underside of the upper portions of thev clamps and the bridge extends lengthwise of the multiple leaf spring assembly and projects beyond the clamp 22, as shown in Figs. l and 2. This bridge may be formed of a flexible steel strip. It is shown as stepped as at points 44 to conform to the contour of the upper surface of the multiple leaf spring assembly.

A plurality of spring leaf inserts 4G are provided. Each of these inserts is secured at one end as by rivet 48 to the bridge A0. The insert extends parallel to the bridge and it is spaced below the stepped portion underneath which it is disposed.

It will be seen that when the leaf spring insert assembly is mounted upon the multiple leaf spring the flexible bridge portion 40 overhangs and follows the contour of the successive leaves of the spring and the inserts are in position to be received between the successive leaves of the spring at the ends thereof at which points the friction is greatest. It will also be seen that the inserts will be held in place between the ends of the leaves by the insert assembly and that they will be retained in their proper position by the insert assembly itself regardless of being connected with the leaves of th'e spring assembly. Such assembly may be attached to or detached from a spring assembly as desired. It may be merchandised as an accessory. It can be readily installed by mounting the same upon the leaf spring and separating the ends of the leaves so as to place the inserts in position.

What I claim is:

l. A spring insert assembly for a, multiple leaf spring comprising a plurality of vertically superimposed leaves wherein an upper leaf superimposes a longer lower leaf, said assembly comprising, in combination, a clamp adapted to be engaged about said spring, a exible insert support secured at one end to said clamp and adapted to overhang the spring upon which the clamp is mounted, and a spring insert securedat one end to said support and adapted to have its opposite end received between superimposed leaves of said spring.

2. A spring insert assembly for a multiple leaf spring comprising a plurality of vertically superimposed leaves wherein an upper leaf superimposes a longer lower leaf, said assembly comprising, in combination, a clamp adapted to be engaged about said two leaves, a flexible insert support secured at one end to said clamp and extending linearly of and above the upper leaf and beyond the end thereof, and a spring insert secured at one end to the support to extend thereunderneath spaced therebelow and toward said clamp and adapted to be received between superimposed leaves of the spring over which the support extends.

3. A spring insert assembly for a multiple leaf spring comprising a plurality of vertically superimposed leaves of unequal length whereby the upper surface of the assembly exhibits a stepped contour; said spring insert assembly comprising, in combination, a pair of clamps adapted to be releasably engaged about said multiple leaf spring spaced apart linearly thereof, a support carried by and extending as a bridge between said clamps overhanging the multiple leaf spring upon which the clamps are mounted, a spring insert secured to said support at one end between said clamps to extend underneath the support linearly thereof and spaced therebelow a distance greater than the thickness of the insert and adapted to be received between two superimposed leaves of said spring.V

4. A spring insert assembly for a multiple leaf spring comprising a plurality of vertically superimposed leaves of unequal length whereby the upper surface of the assembly exhibits a stepped contour; said spring insert assembly comprising, in combination, a pair of clamps adapted to be releasably engaged about said multiple leaf spring spaced apart linearly thereof, a support carried by and extending as a bridge between said clamps overhanging the multiple leaf spring upon which the clamps are mounted, a pair of spring inserts each secured at one end to said support between said clamps and extending lengthwise of the support spaced in stepped relation therebelow and disposed in relatively offset relationship lengthwise of the support, each insert adapted to have its free end received between superimposed leaves of the multiple leaf spring upon which the clamps are mounted.

5. A spring insert assembly for a multiple leaf spring comprising a plurality of vertically superimposed leaves of different length whereby the upper surface of the assembly exhibits a stepped contour, said spring imert assembly comprising, in combination, a pair of clamps adapted to be releasably engaged about such a multiple leaf spring, one of said clamps adapted to be engaged about the upper leaf of said assembly and the leaves immediately therebelow and the other clamp adapted to be engaged about the lower leaf in said assembly, a support carried by and extending as a bridge between said clamps overhanging the multiple leaf spring upon which the clamps are mounted, said support being flexible and so shaped as to exhibit a plurality of linearly spaced relatively transversely offset spring insert supporting portions, a spring insert secured at one end to each of said offset portions to project lengthwise of the support spaced below the portion next above the offset portion to which it is secured and adapted to be received between the superimposed leaves of a multiple leaf spring, each of said inserts having a length approximately that of the stepped portion below which it extends.

6. A spring insert assembly for a multiple leaf spring comprising a plurality of vertically superimposed leaves of different length whereby the upper surface of the assembly exhibits a stepped contour, said spring insert assembly comprising, in combination, a pair of clamps adapted to be releasably engaged about such a multiple leaf spring, one of said clamps adapted to be engaged about the upper leaf in said assembly and the leaves immediately therebelow and the other clamp adapted to be engaged about the lower leaf in said assembly, a support carried by and extending as a bridge between said clamps overhanging the multiple leaf spring upon which the clamps are mounted, said support being flexible and so shaped as to exhibit a linear succession of transversely offset linear spring insert supporting portions, a spring insert for each of said offset portions secured thereto and projecting linearly of the support spaced therebelow and toward the 'first mentioned clamp, said succession of spring inserts being adaptedto be received between successive superimposed leaves of the multiple leaf spring upon which the insert assembly is mounted.

7. A spring insert assembly for a multiple leaf spring comprising a plurality of vertically superimposed leaves of different lengths so arranged that the ends of each superimposing leaf are oifset inwardly the leaves therebelow, said spring insert assembly comprising a pair of clamps one of which clamps is adapted to be engaged about the lower leaf in said multiple leaf spring assembly and the leaf immediately thereabove and the other clamp is adapted to be engaged about the upper leaf in said multiple leaf spring assembly and the leaves therebelow, a flexible bridge extending between and carried by said clamps overhanging the spring leaves, said bridge being transversely stepped at linearly spaced intervals to conform with the stepped contoury of the upper surface of the multiple leaf spring assembly, said bridge extending beyond the first mentioned spring clamp and transversely stepped therebeyond to in part overlie the lower spring leaf, a plurality of spring inserts secured at their ends to the stepped portions of the bridge extending lengthwise the bridge toward the second mentioned clamp and spaced below that portion of the bridge immediately above the offset portion to which the insert is secured, said inserts adapted to be received between superimposed leaves of the leaf spring assembly.

CHARLES G. DAVIS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name v Date 1,373,527l Priestley s Apr. 5, 1921 20 2,052,930 Laursen Sept. 1, 1936 

